CrimeaPRESS reports:
May 4th — the people believed that in the spring not only nature awakens, but also various evil spirits. In the autumn, with the arrival of cold weather, all evil spirits hide in holes and lairs, and in the spring, having gained strength, they return to their possessions again. In order to appease the forest spirits, at the beginning of spring it was customary to go to the forest and leave a basket with treats in the clearing. On Proklov’s day in Rus’, people tried to resist evil spirits and sent curses to her, intending to drive her back into the forest holes. In the old days, people also believed that on the night of May 4, witches turn grass into poison, so they tried to expel evil spirits from gardens and fields so that livestock would not suffer.
They also turned to the brownie for help, asking him to protect the dwelling, outbuildings and cattle from the machinations of evil spirits. Brownie awakening day — April 1. The night before, various treats were left near the stove for the home spirit. To help the brownie and completely expel evil spirits, with the advent of spring, they carried out a general cleaning in the house, washed the windows to let more sunlight into the dwelling.
In the old days, May 4 was called differently: Fedor-lyalnik, Fedor, Prokul, Lyalnik. They tried not to work on this day, but to pay attention to a variety of rituals, since it was believed that witches could harm cattle and destroy them. But it was from pets that a person’s life directly depended in the old days.
On the day of Proclus, the tradition was widespread to dance around the apple tree, and young girls did it. They said that they cherished (lyalil — old) good weather. Therefore, May 4 was nicknamed Lyalnik.
May 4: signs and beliefs
- Bird cherry bloomed early — for a warm and fine summer. The sooner the tree blooms, the hotter the summer will be.
- If the ant is clean and well-fed on Proclus, then the wheat will be born well.
- It is raining from high clouds — the earth is well saturated with moisture.
- Poplar fluff appeared — it’s time to plant cucumbers.
- The stars twinkle strongly, and in the morning the clouds appeared — at noon there will be a thunderstorm.
- A lot of sorrel — the winter will be warm and snowy.
- There is a lot of color on bird cherry — by a wet summer.
- The birch was pubescent before the maple — by the dry summer. If the maple is downy before the birch, then it will often rain in summer.
- In the bare forest, the nightingale sang — to a crop failure.
- The day is favorable for searching for missing people and things.
- Dreams from May 3 to 4 warn of something.
Memorial Day of Hieromartyr Jannuarius (Januarius) and Deacons Sozios and Proclus
Hieromartyr Jannuarius, Bishop, and with him the Holy Martyrs Proculus, Sossius and Faustus, the deacons, Disiderius the Reader, Eutychius, and Akution were martyred for Christ around the year 305, during the persecution of the emperor Diocletian.
Saint Jannuarius was seized and brought to trial before the ruler of Campania (Middle Italy) Timothy. For a firm confession of the Christian faith, the saint was thrown into a fiery furnace. But, like the Babylonian youths, he came out unharmed. Then, by order of Timothy, he was stretched out on a bench and beaten with iron rods so that his bones were exposed.
Among the gathered crowd were the holy deacon Faustus and the holy reader Disiderius, who wept at the sight of the suffering of their bishop. The pagans guessed that they were Christians and threw them into the prison of the city of Puteoli together with the Hieromartyr Jannuarius. In that prison were two deacons previously imprisoned for confessing Christ, Saints Sossius and Proculus, and two laymen, Saints Eutychius and Acution.
The next morning, all the martyrs were taken to the circus to be torn to pieces by wild animals, but the animals did not touch them. Timothy announced that all miracles come from the sorcery of Christians, but immediately became blind and began to cry for help. The meek Hieromartyr Jannuarius prayed for his healing, and Timothy received his sight. Spiritual blindness did not leave the tormentor, and he, with even greater fury accusing the Christians of witchcraft, ordered that all the martyrs’ heads be cut off outside the walls of the city.
Also on this day, May 4, celebrate:
- Happy Dog Day
- International Firefighters Day
- International Respect for Chickens Day
- Star Wars Day
- World Naked Gardening Day
- Folding Umbrella Birthday
- Vermicelli Soup Day
- World Give Day
- World Labyrinth Day
- International Scrapbooking Day
- May 4 — Anti-Bullying Day
- Holy Martyr Jannuarius, Bishop of Benevent
- International Lady Rider Day (International Female Ride Day)
- Bird Day — USA
- National Orange Juice Day — USA
- May 4 — Greenery Day — Japan
- Labor Day — Zambia
- Youth Day — China
- May 4 — Free Comic Book Day — USA
- Youth Day — Fiji
- Memorial Day — Netherlands
- May 4 — Kassinga Day — Namibia
- National Renewal Day — USA
- Day of Civil Aviation Workers – Turkmenistan
- May 4 – Restoration of Independence Day – Latvia
- Crown Prince’s Day — Tonga
- Rochester Chimney Sweep Festival — UK
- St. Florian’s Day — Austria Day of Tax Officials — Tajikistan
- Name day for Alexei, Isakiy, Denis, Kondrat, Maxim, Fedor, Ivan, Nikolai, Alexander
- Proklov day
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